Draft gear



March 11, 1930. E ET AL DRAFT GEAR Filed April 21, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l glvvue'ntoos I? 8. 8622 8 0. R. wii amcle r March 11, 1930. L ET AL 1,750,455

DRAFT GEAR Filed April 21, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [Q Q 2/ @ZZQ 3 Q Q) Q Q 75 k qgxymmx 27 Patented Mar. 11, 1930 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK B. BELL AND OSCAR R. WIKANDER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, AS- SIGNORS TO EDGEWATER STEEL COMPANY,- OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA DRAFT GEAR Application filed April 21,

This invention relates to draft-gear for railway rolling stock, etc., and particularly to improvements in cushioning or shock absorbing means for such gear. More particularly the invention relates to a cushioning or shock absorbing device of unitary type for coaction with the gear housing and draftyoke of a railway car or other vehicle to absorb the pushing and pulling shocks and strains, and which is designed to increase the general efliciency of devices of this character.

One object of the invention is to provide a cushioning or shock absorbing device which is adapted to be applied for use and to heremoved for repairs or otherpurposes with greater ease and facility.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a cushioning or shock absorbing device which embodies a casing for the cushioning springs having novel means for guidin it and preventing it from turning in the yo e or housing.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a spring-enclosingcasing of sectional construction to admit of the ready and convenient assemblage of the parts of the cushioning device and their disassemblage when required. 1

Still another object of the invention is to provide a strong, durable and compact type of cushioning device of great shock absorbing efiiciency and in which the spring components' are housed and shielded from displacement and injury and from the action of the elements.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of a draftgear embodying the invention as applied to a standard freight car.

Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section through the gear housing and draft-yoke and showing the cushioning and shock-absorbing device in end elevation.

Figure 4 is a view, partly in side eleva- 1927. Serial No. 185,556.

tion, and partly in longitudinal section, showing the springs of the cushioning or shockabsorbing device fully expanded.

Figure 5 is a similar View showing the springs of the cushioning or shock-abs0rbing device fully compressed.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail section through the casing and plunger of the cush ioning or shock-absorbing device, taken, for example, on line 66 of Figure 3. V

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the cushioning or shocloabsorbing device as applied to a F arlow draft-gear attach ment.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates the draft-gear pocket of a railway car, including the side Walls 2 usually formed by the center sills of the carframe, said housing or pocket being provided with the lower stops or guides 3 and front and rear stops 4 and 5. 6 and 7 are the front and rear followers, and 8 the draft-yoke. The structure as disclosed in Figures 1, 2 and 3 is or may correspond with that of a standard freight car.

The cushioning or shock absorbing device is of unitary construction and comprises an enclosing casing 9 closed at one end by a head 10 hearing against a flange 11 at such end of the casing, the opposite, end of the casing being open and slidably receiving a cupshaped plunger 12. Arranged in the casing between the head 10 and head portion of the plunger 12 is a system of cushioning or shock absorbing springs. These springs are of ring spring type and consist of a main or backing spring, of sufficiently stiff character, and a relatively weaker or softer pre liminary spring. The main or backing spring is composed of the outer series of ring springs 13 and inner series ofring springs 14, While the preliminary spring is composed of the outer series of ring springs 15 and inner series of ring springs 16. These springs are all of the same'pitch diameter and provided with the conical or inclined frictional contact faces 17. The rings 16 of the preliminary spring serve to sustain the slight stress which the spring structure as a whole is normally under as a result of such structure being placed in the casing under slightly initial compression, and said rings coact with the rings 16 to secure a soft starting resistance to external pressures or shocks in a cushioning or shock absorbing action, While the main or backing spring sustains and cushions the bulk of the pressure or shock. Between the juxtaposed rings 13 and 15 of any backing and preliminary spring units an intermediate or transmission ring spring member 18 is preferably employed. This spring 18 acts as a motion transmitting element between the two ring spring units to maintain a continuity of spring action and to effect a pressure transfer motion from one to the other in an easy and regulated manner.

The rings 13 and 14 are relatively heavier and of greater cross-section than the rings 15 and 16, while the ring 18 is of mean character as compared with rings 14 and 16, be ing lighter and of less cross-section than rings 14 and heavier and of greater crosssection than rings 16. The rings 16, as shown, are of small section as compared with the other rings, or very light, so that during the travel of the elements of the preliminary unit a very soft starting motion will take place, due to the initial comparatively small resistance to compression of said rings 16, followed by a gradually increasing resistance as such springs are compressed within the rings 15 and the latter are successively brought together, until finally the force is transmitted through the rings 15 to the rings 18, 13 and 14, the rings 15 being sufiiciently heavy to transmit the larger force required to close the main or backing spring 13, 14. Thus an easy cushioning action of even very great forces may be obtained without undue jolts, ars or strains upon the springs or other parts of the cushioning device or upon the car body on which said device is used. By the construction described also the use of coiled preliminary springs is avoided, and all the desirable advantages, including compactness, of a strictly ring spring structure throughout obtained.

The casing 9 is of longitudinally-split type and comprises two counterpart sections 19 and 20. These sections are provided at their meeting edges with flanges 21 projecting radially therefrom, the flanges of the oppo'sed meeting edges of the sections abutting and being united by bolts or rivets 22. These flanges are disposed at two diametrically opposite sides of the casing, and the diametrically opposed sides of the sections of the easing arranged at right angles to the flanged sides are provided above and below the horizontal transverse center of the casing with upper and lower outwardly bulged portions or bosses 23 in the form of triangularly sectioned prisms, which extend between the flanges 21 and the transverse centers of the casing sections, such bulged portions of each casing section intersecting each other at the transverse center point so as to form a vertically disposed flattened face 24. In the use of the cushioning device as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the device is arranged in the rear pocket so that the connected flanges 21 form guide ribs or members engaging the walls or sills 2, while the flattened faces 24 engage the upper and lower arms of the yoke 8, whereby the cushioning device is securely held and accurately guided and prevented by its flattened faces from tilting laterally or rotating about its axis in the gear pocket and yoke. The flattened faces also provide a means for preventing the cushioning device from rolling off the yoke during installation of the gear.

The sectional construction of the casing permits of the ready and convenient initial assemblage of its contained working parts, and of their disassemblage, by removal of the bolts or rivets 22, for the purpose of making repairs or for other purposes. The formation of the bulged portions 23 provides a series of four abutment shoulders 25 equidistantly spaced about the causing at the front end thereof, and the plunger 12 is provided with a guide 26 to guide it in its movements in the casing, said flange being pressed outward to provide flanges 27 corresponding in contour to the bosses 23 and adapted for engagement with said abutment shoulders 25 to limit the outward movement of the plunger and expansion of the springs 15 and 16. The head 10 may be provided with an opening 28 normally closed by a plug 29. Through this opening oil or other lubricant may be introduced for keeping the surfaces of the springs lubricated and to protect them from rust. By the described form and construction of the bulged portions of the bosses a casing of simple type but of great strength is produced and the shoulders 25 and flanges 27 are made of great strength to sustain the contact strains imposed upon them. At the same time the bosses form internal guideways for the triangular shoulders 25, whereby the plunger is guided in a true path and held from rotation.

Figure 7 shows the cushioning or shock absorbing device as employed in connection with a Farlow draft gear attachment. As shown, the device is here arranged so that the flat sides 24 of the casing 9 engage the sides of the horizontally arranged yoke, and the guide rib formed by the flanges at one side of the casing rests upon and supports the device from the saddle plate 30. For the purpose of giving this rib a larger bearing surface oppositely projecting angle iron shoe plates 31 may be employed and secured in position by the same bolts or rivets 22 which fasten the flanges together. Angle metal shoe plates of this character may be applied, as illustrated, to each pair of flanges, so

as to adapt either rib or set of flanges to perform the function of a guide and support.

By the construction described a cushioning or shock absorbing device is provided for the purpose described which is compact, easy in action, and of maximum shock absorbing capacity, and in which the spring elements are enclosed and protected from injury and the access of dust and dirt thereto, as well as from exposure to the weather. The con struction described also adapts the parts to be easily and conveniently assembled for use, or disassemblage for repairs, and further adapts the device to be fitted in the yoke without becoming displaced and of being accurately guided. and held from casual displacement in the gear pocket.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim 1. In a draft gear, a draft frame, a yoke, a casing in said frame and coacting with said yoke, said casing being open at one end and comprising a body of generally circular cross-section and provided with bosses about its circumference, forming longitudinal guideways and terminating adjacent tothe open end of the casing to provide stop shoulders, a shock absorbing spring in the casing, and a plunger slidably mounted in the open end of the casing and receiving one end of the spring, said plunger being provided with outstruck portions forming combined guide members engaging said guideways in the casing and stop members to engage said stop shoulders of the casing, the part of the ring spring contained in the casing having rings of such outside diameter as to fit the same, and the part of the spring extending into the plunger having outside rings of a smaller diameter to fit the inside diameter of said plunger.

2. In a draft gear, a draft frame, a yoke, a casing in said frame and coacting with said yoke, said casino being open at one end and comprising a ho y of generally circular crosssection and provided with triangularly sectioned prismatic bosses at points about its circumference, said bosses forming longitudinal guideways and terminating adjacent to the open end of the casing to provide stop shoulders, a shock absorbing ring spring in the casing, and a plunger slidably mounted in the open end 0 the casing and receiving one end of the spring, said plunger being provided with outstruck triangular portions forming combined guide members engaging said guideways in the casing and stop members to engage said stop shoulders of the cas ing, the part of the ring spring contained in the casing having rings of such outside diameter as to fit the same, and the part of the spring extending into the plunger having outside rings of a smaller diameter to fit the inside diameter of said plunger.

3. In a draft gear, a draft frame, a yoke,

a casing in said frame and coacting with said yoke, a ring spring in said casing, said casing being open at one end and comprising a pair of longitudinally divided sections provided with united outwardly projecting flanges extending along two of the sides of the casing, the casing being provided with bosses forming outer flattened faces parallel to the projecting flanges and tangential to the cylindrical body of the ring spring and internal guideways and terminating adjacent to the open end of the casing to provide stop shoulders, a shock absorbing spring in the casing, and a plunger slidably mounted in theopen end of the casing and receiving one end of the spring, said plunger being provided with outstruck portions forming combined guide members engaging said guideways in the casing and stop members to engage said stop shoulders of the casing.

4. In a draft gear, a draft frame, a yoke, a casing in said frame and coacting with said yoke, a ring spring enclosed in said casing, said casing being open at one end and comprising a pair of longitudinally divided sections provided with united outwardly projecting flanges extending along two of the sides of the casing, the other two sides of the casing being provided with triangularly sectioned prismatic bosses forming outer flattened faces parallel to the projecting flanges and tangential to the cylindrical body of the ring spring at such sides of the casing and internal guideways at the points of intersection of the respective sides, said bosses terminating adjacent to the open end of the casing and providing stop shoulders at the outer ends of the guideways, and a plunger slidably mounted in the open end of the casing and receiving one end of the spring, said plunger being provided with outstruck triangular portions forming combined guide members engaging said internal guideways of the casing body and stop shoulders to engage said stop shoulders of the casing body, the part of the ring spring contained in the casing having rings of such outside diameter as to fit the same, and the part of the spring extending into the plunger having outside rings of a smaller diameter to fit the inside diameter of said plunger.

5. In a draft gear, a draft frame, a yoke, a casing in said frame and coacting with said yoke, said casing being open at one end and provided with outstruck portions forming guideways extending longitudinally thereof and stop shoulders adjacent to the open end thereof, a shock absorbing ring spring in said casing, and a hollow plunger slidably mounted in the open end of the casing and receiving one end of said spring, said plunger having outstruck portions forming guides engaging the guideways of the casing and stop shoulders for engagement with the stop shoulders of the casing, the part of the ring spring contained in the casing having rings of such outside diameter as to fit the same, and the part of the spring extending into the plunger havin outside rings of a smaller diameter to fit tfie inside diameter of said plunger.

6. In adraft ear, a casing open at one end, a chambered pfunger open at its inner end and telescopically fitting in the open end of the casing, and a ring spring in said casing,

the outer rings of a part of said ring spring a being of such diameter as to fit within the casing, and the outer rings of the remainderof said .ring spring being of such diameter as to fit within the telescoping plunger, the travel of the part of the ring spring inside of the plunger being less than the width of one ring, whereby liability of the edges of the ring spring catching in the edge of the open end of the plunger is obviated.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

FRANK B. BELL. OSCAR B. WIKANDER. 

